Making Search Prettier: Bing Launches Visual Search
Since Microsoft launched Bing, the company has been trying to position it as a 'decision engine' and not just as another search engine. Today, Microsoft is taking another step in this direction with the launch of Visual Search in Bing. For a growing number of searches, instead of giving users a list of 10 blue links, Bing will now give users the option to visualize the search results on a 3D grid with icons or photos. Now, for example, if you search for 'Top iPhone Apps,' Bing will not just present a list of links to other sites but also provide the option to show you those iPhone apps directly in Bing, with the added ability to filter them by price, category, or publisher.
Microsoft is definitely trying to change the playing field with Bing and today's updates show that Microsoft still has a few surprises up its sleeves. Searches for NFL and MLB players, for example, or movies, digital cameras, or US presidents now feature the option to see the results on a nicely designed grid.
Filters
This visualization, while visually quite stunning, wouldn't be very interesting though, if Microsoft hadn't also added the ability to quickly narrow searches by relevant categories. If you search for 'digital cameras,' for example, you get the option to narrow your search by number of megapixels, optical zoom, or brand. Baseball players can be organized by position, team, or salary, and criminals on the FBI's 'Most Wanted' list can be organized by reward, citizenship, or the crime they are wanted for.
Overall, these visual elements can really make some searches a lot easier, especially if you are starting out with a broad category and you are trying to narrow your search down (try 'yoga poses,' for example).
As Stefan Weitz, Microsoft's Director of Bing, told us last month, for some queries, visual results are simply much easier to scan for users than simple lists of texts. At the end of your work with the visual search interface, however, you are still taken back to a regular Bing search.
Silverlight Only
Microsoft decided to use Silverlight as the one and only way to access the visual search feature. At this point, Weitz argued when we asked him about this choice, Silverlight is already widely installed on millions of computers and Microsoft decided that the experience will not degrade gracefully if you don't have Silverlight installed.
Useful or Just a Gimmick?
While Visual Search might look like a gimmick at first (and it definitely is an interesting visual feature), it actually turns out to be a very usual feature for most of the searches that currently support it. The range of searches that allow you to visualize the results is still somewhat limited, though Microsoft will surely add on to this list over time. If anything, this is yet another feature in Bing that Google doesn't offer yet. As Bing tries to position itself as a 'decision engine' and not just as a search engine, this is also another feature that will help Microsoft to make this distinction. Instead of a list of links, Bing can now offer a set of faster and more visually pleasing search results
Topics
Here is a list of current topics that will pop up Visual Search as an option:
- 100 heroes and villains
- Billboard's past albums
- Billboard's past songs
- Film legends
- Greatest movies
- Movies in theaters
- Popular books
- Popular celebrities
- Popular DVDs
- Popular TV shows
- Pulitzer winning fiction
- Top albums
- Top songs
- Famous People
- FBI's most wanted
- Popular celebrities
- US politicians
- US presidents
- US vice presidents
- World leaders
Reference
- Dog breeds
- Periodic table
- Travel destinations
- US politicians
- US presidents
- US states
- US vice presidents
- World leaders
- Yoga poses
Shopping
- Cell phones
- Digital cameras
- Handbags
- HDTVs
- New cars
- Popular books
- Popular DVDs
- Portable GPS
- Pulitzer winning fiction
- Top albums
- Top iPhone apps
Sports
- MLB players
- MLB teams
- NASCAR drivers
- NBA players
- NBA teams
- NFL players
- NFL teams
- NHL players
- NHL teams
- UFC fighters
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Yet another app for the illiterate. Tweets for twats. No one knows how to write a letter anymore, that went out with email, IMing, facebook Tweeting, and now this nonsense.
While this feature is not for everyone, I can certainly see how this could be useful to certain users. First of all, This could be a very helpful thing to have as it relates to online shopping if it's further developed. I also see it a useful tool as is since we could all use a little visual help when we type in something basic.
For instance, I saw the example put up for "dog breeds". It's a perfect example of a case when if you're looking for something, yet you don't know how to search for it but by a photo. It's way easier then typing in "dog with floppy ears" or something like that and hoping you come across what you're looking for.
I also think that visually, it will be a lot more appealing to both the young demo and the older demos, i.e. those with not much experience with search. The only thing now is making sure those people see what they have before they automatically go to Google off of name recognition.
And check out www.eZanga.com for another search alternative.
That does look very nice.
alright I must say they are making the effort to truly surpass Google and Yahoo in one go.!
This reminds me of what viewzi attempted.
http://www.trendslate.com
Trying to access the visual search page from India. Bing says the page doesn't exist! Like... WHY?
From Europe we don't see a thing of it.
it will be more beneficial for users.
I just downloaded SilverLight and played with it a little bit. I will give Microsoft a A for effort on this one.
It may be a little gimmicky, and certainly not for all searches... it is very cool. If nothing else, worth checking out.
Some searches it doesn't work on. The ones it works on looks pretty cool. I don't know how much I will use it, but I like it.
Bing is becoming a very good alternative to Google.
It's very disappointing to see these kinds of power plays for control of the web. Look, their browser team finally embraced web standards, but don't look at all these other teams subjugating those standards with proprietary technology.
There is absolutely no reason this couldn't have been done with Open Web technology, and it would have worked on my Palm Pre or your iPhone as well.
What your article is terrific.
Have knowledge of new and still stay back. Always read your Blog.
Thank you very much.
Im a big fan of Bing, but it needs furthur development before it claims to be a 'decision engine' .